Instinct versus Gut Feeling

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I have some amazing friends. There are those who know me so well that they know when to get me to man up and when to offer a sympathetic large gin and a box of hankies. But the other day something happened that caused an imbalance in the standard procedure to deal with a paranoid me! And it all came down to definition!
The dictionary definition is

Gut feeling: an instinctive feeling as opposed to an opinion based on fact

Instinct: an innate, typically fixed pattern of behaviour, in animals in response to certain stimuli.

In my case the arguments started because one person said “you will know instinctively what your gut feeling is”. The counter arguement was “that is ridiculous” deep breath ” your gut feeling is physical, instinct is psychological, so you will always feel the tummy lurch of indecision before your head kicks in and reacts instinctively”. I knew it was getting serious when a pen and paper was fished out of a handbag and diagrams started to appear. I was beginning to regret ever sharing.

Friends are wonderful and well meaning. They want to help but when you look down at a piece of paper and see your life quandary starting to look like a map of the London Underground it is time to say thank you but I can plan my “journey” by myself.

So back to gut feeling versus instinct!

For me gut feeling is horrible. It is usually a feeling of doom and dread that tells me I have been in this situation before and it is going to be a bumpy ride. But with instinct, that is my psyche telling me what to do to protect myself, and that is normally to click into safe mode. It is the old hand in the fire thing. Gut feeling, don’t touch the fire it will burn. Instinct don’t even go near the fire in the first place.

The experience did make me think about how much we rely on both items to cope with our lives and how much we do all view them differently. So the next blogs will look at both areas and thanks to some kind sharers include some serious and some light hearted examples

Please share and join in the chat

G x

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Published by Gin Or Gym

Life is all about balance and for most of us it is a struggle! My perspective is based upon my ongoing battle against gymophobia, to have the gin you really should do the gym thing. Finding that balance is not easy, mentally, physically or emotionally especially when you are the wrong side of 50! But life is all about perspiration, inspiration and celebration so join me for the fun, the serious and the struggles of life!
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